SSC Weekly Awards Presented by Pollo Campero: February 9 - 15
Athletes of the Week | February 9 - 15
A.J. Vazquez, Communications Contractor
Sunshine State Conference Athletes of the Week are chosen from a pool of nominees for their performances during the week of February 9 - 15, 2026. Athletic Communication Directors of member institutions nominate athletes.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Amare Miller, Florida Southern College
Senior - Forward - White Plains, New York
Miller led the Mocs on both sides of the ball in their undefeated week with wins over Eckerd College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Against the Tritons, Miller posted 24 points and seven rebounds, along with two assists, two blocks and two steals. He closed the week with 25 points and 11 rebounds, adding one steal and one block against the Eagles. This marks Miller’s second weekly honor of the season and the third of his career.
Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Jaxon Nap, Nova Southeastern
Senior - Guard - Newcastle, Washington
Nap anchored the Sharks defensively and on the glass in a 2-0 week for Nova Southeastern. He opened the week with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, adding a steal and a block against Lynn University. He followed with 17 points and seven rebounds, along with two steals and another block at Florida Tech. This is Nap’s third weekly honor of the season.
Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Sydney Gomes, Florida Southern College
Senior - Guard - Ponte Vedra, Florida
Gomes led the offensive charge for the Mocs, leading Florida Southern to their first win over Eckerd since 2022. She scored a career-high 32 points, shooting 12-of-17 from the field, while adding five assists and eight rebounds. Later in the week on the road at Embry-Riddle, Gomes recorded 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, and added six rebounds, four steals, and three assists. This marks Gomes’ third weekly honor of the 2025-26 season and fourth of her career.
Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Taydra Simpson, Nova Southeastern University
Senior - Guard - Coram, New York
In Nova Southeastern’s undefeated week, Simpson set the tone defensively in matchups against Lynn and Florida Tech. She opened the week against the Knights with 10 steals, five rebounds and a block. On the road at Florida Tech, she was a pivotal piece in the Sharks forcing 30 turnovers, recording three steals, three rebounds and a block. This is Simpson’s second weekly honor of the season and the second consecutive week she has won the award.
Baseball Player of the Week
Jhoander Irigoyen, University of Tampa
Senior - Catcher - Winter Garden, Florida
Jhoander led Tampa with an .800 batting average across three games against Post University. He opened the series with a 3-for-4 night at the plate that included two home runs and three runs batted in. On Saturday, went 2-for-2 with 4 RBI, and reached base four times, before concluding the series with a 3-for-4 game on Sunday, drawing a walk and driving in 2 runs.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Brett Dennis, Rollins College
Junior - Pitcher - Jacksonville, Florida
Dennis had a strong outing against Assumption University, retiring all 18 batters he faced in the Tars’ home win over the Greyhounds. He had six strikeouts on the day, including striking out all three batters in the fourth inning. He induced five flyouts and seven groundouts before his pre-planned removal from the game at 65 pitches.
Softball Player of the Week
Hannah Taylor, Eckerd College
Junior - Utility - Brookeville, Florida
On the week, Taylor batted .500 and recorded a hit in each of the Tritons’ six games, including four multi-hit performances. She added two home runs and five doubles, drove in eight runs, and was perfect in the field as Eckerd went 4-2 with wins over Webber International University (DH), Columbus State University and Georgia Southwestern University. This is Taylor’s third weekly honor of her career.
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Brandilyn Reymer, Eckerd College
Senior - Pitcher - Ashland, Ohio
Wallace had four strong outings on the week, going 3-1 in her appearances for Eckerd and striking out 39 batters. She opened the week by striking out 13 against Webber International. Later in the week against Georgia Southwestern, she struck out 15 batters, setting a new Triton record and personal best. The mark is tied for the most in Division II this season.
Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Logan McHugh, Rollins College
Sophomore - Midfield - Fairfax, Virginia
McHugh’s offensive efforts were crucial in the Tars’ tightly contested loss against No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne University, 13-12. He scored four goals against the Bears, landing four out of five shots on goal in the net, was unassisted on three of them. McHugh also picked up two groundballs.
Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Conley Stone, University of Tampa
Senior - Longstick Midfielder - Summerfield, North Carolina
Stone’s defensive play was pivotal in the Spartan’s road win over No. 17 Flagler College, 8-7. He recorded a game-high and SSC No. 2 five caused turnovers and added three groundballs. Stone’s efforts helped limit a nationally ranked opponent to seven goals on the road.
Men’s Lacrosse Specialist of the Week
MP Thomas, University of Tampa
Graduate Student - Face Off Get off - Roswell, Georgia
Thomas played a pivotal role in Tampa’s 8-7 road win over No. 17 Flagler from the faceoff circle. From the opening whistle, he secured the Spartans’ possession on eight of 13 attempts for a .615 faceoff win percentage. Thomas also recorded two ground balls.
Women’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Angelia Huggins, Lynn University
Junior - Attacker - Harwood, Maryland
Through the Knights’ opening weekend, Huggins led an offense that scored 25 goals through the first two games of the season. On the road at Florida Southern, she scored one goal and recorded two ground balls, then followed that with three goals and five assists in Lynn’s home opener against Colorado Mesa University.
Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Jessica Harclerode, Saint Leo University
Senior - Goalkeeper - Sayville, New York
Harclerode opened the week by etching her name into the SSC women’s lacrosse record book after setting a new career saves record with 509 career saves in the Lions’ win over Colorado Mesa. She recorded eight saves in Saint Leo’s 17-7 win over the Mavericks. Later in the week against Saint Michael’s, she added four saves, leading the Lions to a 22-4 victory between the posts. Harclerode currently has 513 career saves and has earned her seventh weekly honor of her career.
Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Thomas Machado, Barry University
Senior - Lavault-Sainte-Anne, France
At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Indoor National Championship, Barry came out victorious, and Machado was the lone Buccaneer to win all three doubles and all three singles matches. In the semifinal against Washburn, he won the deciding match to secure the team victory. Alongside partner Adam Lynch, Machado earned the match-deciding doubles point against the University of Indianapolis and the University of West Florida, sealing team wins in both matches.
Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Louane Lutringer, Barry University
Sophomore - Bourges, France
Louane Lutringer led Barry University to a 3-0 start to the season, opening with a sweep of No. 16 NAIA-ranked St. Thomas University before earning two Sunshine State Conference victories; a road win over No. 20 Lynn University and a home sweep of No. 11 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Lutringer went a perfect 3-0 in both singles and doubles, competing on court four in singles and on the top two doubles courts throughout the week.
Men’s Golfer of the Week
Donte Groppuso, Florida Southern College
Graduate Student - Kingston, New York
Groppuso opened the spring season by capturing the individual title for No. 4 ranked Florida Southern. Entering the event ranked No. 42 nationally, Groppuso finished at an impressive 13-under par and with new new personal best three-round total of 203 (66-68-69). Groppuso’s performance helped the Mocs secure a runner-up team finish and moved to No. 1 in NCAA Division II in the Scoreboard by Clippd rankings. This marks Groppuso’s second weekly honor of his career.
Women’s Golfer of the Week
Justine Bayle, University of Tampa
Sophomore - Paris, France
At the Flagler World Golf Invitational, Bayle delivered a standout performance by firing an even-par 216, with rounds of 73-70-73, earning her a tie for first-pace after three rounds. She advanced to a playoff to decide medalist honors, replaying the fourth hole four times before ultimately coming up just short to Lander University's Kajsa Lindqvist. This is Bayle’s second weekly honor of her career.
Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week
Maddie Kremer, Palm Beach Atlantic
Graduate Student - Red Bluff, California
Katelyn Nadeau, Palm Beach Atlantic
Junior - Lake Worth, Florida
Kremer and Nadeau anchored the Sailfish in the No. 1 flight this week, leading Palm Beach Atlantic to a pair of strong team wins. Against Florida Southern, the duo secured a straight-set victory, 21–19, 21–9, to help lift PBA to 4–1. They followed with another dominant performance against Warner University, cruising to a 21–12, 21–4 win to spark a 5–0 sweep of the Royals.
LINKS: SSC Player of the Week Database / SSC Award Database